hebrews 1. richard d. phillips

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Hebrews

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RE F O R M E D EX P O S I T O R Y CO M M E N T A R Y

A Series

Series Editors

Richard D. Phillips

Philip Graham Ryken

Testament Editors

Iain M. Duguid, Old Testament

Daniel M. Doriani, New Testament

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Hebrews

RI C H A R D D. PH I L L I P S

R

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2006 by Richard D. Phillips

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or

transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording,

or otherwiseexcept for brief quotations for the purpose of review or comment, without

the prior permission of the publisher, P&R Publishing Company, P.O. Box 817, Phillips-

burg, New Jersey 08865-0817.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard

Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Also

cited: NIV, NASB, KJV. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Italics within Scripture quotations indicate emphasis added.

Page design by Lakeside Design Plus

Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Phillips, Richard D. (Richard Davis), 1960

Hebrews / Richard D. Phillips.

p. cm. (Reformed expository commentary)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-13: 978-0-87552-784-0

ISBN-10: 0-87552-784-1

1. Bible. N.T. HebrewsCommentaries. I. Title. II. Series.

BS2775.53.P46 2006

227'.87077dc22

2005057513

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To the memory of

James Montgomery Boice,

with thanks to God for his love of Christ

and his example as a faithful expositorof Gods mighty Word,

and to

the apostle and high priest

of our confession, Jesus Christ

Hebrews 3:13

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CONTENTS

Series Introduction xi

Preface xv

Part 1: The Supremacy of Christ

1. Gods Final Word (1:12) 5

2. Prophet, Priest, and King (1:24) 16

3. Superior to Angels (1:49) 26

4. The Reigning Lord (1:1014) 37

5. Pay Attention! (2:14) 46

6. His Story (2:59) 56

7. Perfect through Suffering (2:1013) 65

8. Able to Help (2:1418) 75

9. The Great Apostle (3:16) 83

Part 2: Warnings against Falling Away

10. A Warning against Unbelief (3:712) 95

11. Salvation Lost (3:1219) 104

12. The Sabbath Rest (4:15) 115

13. Entering Gods Rest (4:611) 12314. Gods Living Word (4:1213) 133

15. The Throne of Grace (4:1416) 144

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16. Appointed as Priest (5:16) 15417. The Source of Our Salvation (5:710) 164

18. From Milk to Meat (5:116:3) 175

19. Once Enlightened (6:48) 185

20. Diligent to the End (6:912) 197

21. An Anchor for the Soul (6:1320) 207

Part 3: Our Great High Priest

22. Melchizedek (7:110) 221

23. A Better Hope (7:1119) 23124. Because He Lives (7:2025) 243

25. Perfectly Fitting (7:2628) 253

26. A Superior Ministry (8:16) 265

27. The New Covenant (8:613) 276

28. The Earthly Sanctuary (9:110) 287

29. The Blood of Christ (9:1114) 299

30. Last Will and Testament (9:1522) 309

31. Once for All (9:2328) 321

32. The Body of Christ (10:110) 332

33. A Great Conclusion (10:1118) 343

Part 4: Exhortations to and Examples of Faith

34. How Should We Then Live? (10:1925) 357

35. A Dreadful Punishment (10:2631) 368

36. In a Little While (10:3239) 379

37. What Is Faith? (11:13) 390

38. Faith Justifying (11:4) 401

39. Faith Pleasing God (11:56) 413

40. Faith Working (11:7) 42441. Faith Looking Forward (11:810) 435

42. Faith in the Promise (11:1112) 446

Contents

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43. Faith Seeking a Home (11:1316) 45744. Faith Tested (11:1719) 469

45. Faith Trusting Gods Plan (11:2022) 481

46. Faith Choosing God (11:2326) 493

47. Faith Passing Through (11:2729) 505

48. Faith Conquering (11:3040) 516

49. Faith Fixed on Jesus (12:13) 528

Part 5: Concluding Exhortations

50. Disciplined as Sons (12:413) 541

51. A Call to Holiness (12:1417) 553

52. The Mountain of Grace (12:1824) 564

53. What Cannot Be Shaken (12:2529) 575

54. Jesus Christ the Same (13:18) 586

55. Outside the Camp (13:914) 597

56. A Sacrifice of Praise (13:1519) 609

57. Benediction of Peace (13:2025) 620

Index of Scripture 633

Index of Subjects and Names 643

CONTENTS

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SERIES INTRODUCTION

In every generation there is a fresh need for the faithful exposition of

Gods Word in the church. At the same time, the church must constantly dothe work of theology: reflecting on the teaching of Scripture, confessing its

doctrines of the Christian faith, and applying them to contemporary cul-

ture. We believe that these two tasksthe expositional and the theologi-

calare interdependent. Our doctrine must derive from the biblical text,

and our understanding of any particular passage of Scripture must arise

from the doctrine taught in Scripture as a whole.

We further believe that these interdependent tasks of biblical exposition

and theological reflection are best undertaken in the church, and most specif-

ically in the pulpits of the church. This is all the more true since the study

of Scripture properly results in doxology and praxisthat is, in praise to

God and practical application in the lives of believers. In pursuit of theseends, we are pleased to present the Reformed Expository Commentary as a

fresh exposition of Scripture for our generation in the church. We hope and

pray that pastors, teachers, Bible study leaders, and many others will find

this series to be a faithful, inspiring, and useful resource for the study of

Gods infallible, inerrant Word.

The Reformed Expository Commentary has four fundamental commit-

ments. First, these commentaries aim to be biblical, presenting a compre-

hensive exposition characterized by careful attention to the details of the

text. They are not exegetical commentariescommenting word by word or

even verse by versebut integrated expositions of whole passages of Scrip-

ture. Each commentary will thus present a sequential, systematic treatment

of an entire book of the Bible, passage by passage. Second, these commen-

taries are unashamedly doctrinal.We are committed to the Westminster Con-

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fession of Faith and Catechisms as containing the system of doctrine taughtin the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. Each volume will teach,

promote, and defend the doctrines of the Reformed faith as they are found

in the Bible. Third, these commentaries are redemptive-historical in their

orientation. We believe in the unity of the Bible and its central message of

salvation in Christ.We are thus committed to a Christ-centered view of the

Old Testament, in which its characters, events, regulations, and institutions

are properly understood as pointing us to Christ and his gospel, as well as

giving us examples to follow in living by faith. Fourth, these commentaries

arepractical, applying the text of Scripture to contemporary challenges of

lifeboth public and privatewith appropriate illustrations.

The contributors to the Reformed Expository Commentary are all pastor-scholars. As pastor, each author will first present his expositions in the pul-

pit ministry of his church. This means that these commentaries are rooted

in the teaching of Scripture to real people in the church. While aiming to be

scholarly, these expositions are not academic. Our intent is to be faithful,

clear, and helpful to Christians who possess various levels of biblical and

theological trainingas should be true in any effective pulpit ministry.

Inevitably this means that some issues of academic interest will not be cov-

ered.Nevertheless,we aim to achieve a responsible level of scholarship, seek-

ing to promote and model this for pastors and other teachers in the church.

Significant exegetical and theological difficulties,along with such historical

and cultural background as is relevant to the text, will be treated with care.

We strive for a high standard of enduring excellence. This begins with

the selection of the authors, all of whom have proven to be outstanding

communicators of Gods Word. But this pursuit of excellence is also

reflected in a disciplined editorial process. Each volume is edited by both

a series editor and a testament editor. The testament editors, Iain Duguid

for the Old Testament and Daniel Doriani for the New Testament, are

accomplished pastors and respected scholars who have taught at the sem-

inary level. Their job is to ensure that each volume is sufficiently con-

versant with up-to-date scholarship and is faithful and accurate in its

exposition of the text.As series editors, we oversee each volume to ensure

its overall qualityincluding excellence of writing, soundness of teach-

ing, and usefulness in application.Working together as an editorial team,

along with the publisher, we are devoted to ensuring that these are the

Series Introduction

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best commentaries our gifted authors can provide, so that the church willbe served with trustworthy and exemplary expositions of Gods Word.

It is our goal and prayer that the Reformed Expository Commentary will

serve the church by renewing confidence in the clarity and power of Scrip-

ture and by upholding the great doctrinal heritage of the Reformed faith.

We hope that pastors who read these commentaries will be encouraged in

their own expository preaching ministry, which we believe to be the best

and most biblical pattern for teaching Gods Word in the church. We hope

that lay teachers will find these commentaries among the most useful

resources they rely upon for understanding and presenting the text of the

Bible. And we hope that the devotional quality of these studies of Scripture

will instruct and inspire each Christian who reads them in joyful, obedientdiscipleship to Jesus Christ.

May the Lord bless all who read the Reformed Expository Commentary.

We commit these volumes to the Lord Jesus Christ, praying that the Holy

Spirit will use them for the instruction and edification of the church, with

thanksgiving to God the Father for his unceasing faithfulness in building his

church through the ministry of his Word.

Richard D. Phillips

Philip Graham Ryken

Series Editors

SERIESINTRODUCTION

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PREFACE

One of the glories of the Bible is the way God takes a particular situation

involving a particular group of people and uses it to speak with the greatest

of relevance to people of all kinds, in all times, and in all places. The Bookof Hebrews provides a great example of this principle. Written by an

unknown apostolic leader to a group of Jewish Christians facing persecu-

tion in the mid-first century A.D., the words of this book speak to Christians

everywhere about standing firm in Jesus Christ. Is there a message more rel-

evant and necessary to the times in which we live?

Few studies can be more profitable to Christians today than that of the

Epistle to the Hebrews.In this letter, God exhorts us to persevere in the faith,

even in the face of trials. Hebrews tells us whywe must press onbecause

of the surpassing supremacy of Jesus Christand howwe must press on

through faith in Christ, like the faith of those who went before us.Hebrews

warns us of the pitfalls common to every age and through which many makea shipwreck of their souls, reminding us as well of the many resources avail-

able to us in our pilgrimage through this life.

Most valuable of all, the Book of Hebrews offers a singular and match-

less presentation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Showing forth Jesus supremacy

to the angels, to Moses,to Joshua,and to Aaron,the author of Hebrews brings

out features of Jesus portrait that are found nowhere else in the New Tes-

tament. Especially in his detailed description of Jesus as our perfect high

priestthe most pointed presentation of this office found in all of sacred

Scripturewe learn how and why Jesus is able to save to the uttermost

those who draw near to God through him (Heb. 7:25).

The student of Hebrews will gain detailed knowledge of Old Testament

Israel and biblical insight regarding Gods intention in the old covenant.

Here we see covenant theology laid bare as it is biblically centered on Christ

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and his work. In Hebrews we gain superior insight into Gods own view ofsacred Scripture; Hebrews consists largely of expositions of Old Testament

passages, and in these expositions we survey the contours of how inspira-

tion and inerrancy work out in practice. Furthermore, since Hebrews is not

so much a treatise as a sermonthe writer describes it as my word of exhor-

tation (Heb. 13:22)pastors and other leaders in Christs flock receive a

helpful model of biblical exhortation and encouragement.

My goal in writing these studies is the same expressed so well by the writer

of Hebrews himself: Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without

wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir

up one another to love and good works (Heb. 10:2324). May God bless

these studies to all who read themthat you may trust firmly in Jesus Christ

until the end, giving glory to his blessed name.

These messages were first preached in the early morning services of Tenth

Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia from September 1999 to July 2001. Most

of them were preached during our weekly communion service, and I will

always be grateful to God that my first pulpit ministry involved the regular

communing with Gods people in the presence of Christ. Perhaps my fond-

est memory from that time was administering the sacrament weekly to James

Montgomery Boice, then my senior pastor. His humble godliness and love

for our Savior made an indelible impact on my heart. These studies are lov-

ingly dedicated to his memory, with praise to God and with thanks for theexample Dr. Boice set as a Christian, a pastor, and an expositor of Scripture.

Such is my esteem for the Book of Hebrews that I preached these mes-

sages again in the evening services of First Presbyterian Church of Coral

Springs/Margate, Florida. To all the faithful and beloved brothers and sis-

ters in this great church, I offer my heartfelt thanks for their constant love

and support. I am thankful, as well, for the careful editing of my colleagues

Phil Ryken and Dan Doriani, and for the many fine labors of my friends at

P&R Publishing. I thank with special gratitude my wife Sharon,whose devo-

tion to Christ and ministry to me make my service to God possible, and our

five children, Hannah, Matthew, Jonathan, Ellie, and Lydia. Finally, I give

thanks to God for the wonderful gift of his only Son to be the Lamb and thePriest who offered the sacrifice for the forgiveness of my sins, and on whose

present intercession I wholly rely. To him be glory forever.

Preface

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Hebrews

STANDING FIRM IN CHRIST

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PART 1

The Supremacy of Christ



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5

1

GODS FINAL WORD

Hebrews 1:12

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our

fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us

by his Son. (Heb. 1:12)

Ascene from Jesus life and ministry wonderfully depicts

what the Book of Hebrews is all about. Matthew 17 tells us

that Jesus took his three closest disciples up onto the

mount, where they saw him transfigured in glory, speaking with Moses

and Elijah. Peter proposed building a tabernacle for the veneration of

these three spiritual giants. But just then the Shekinah glory cloud

enveloped them in brightness and the voice of God said, This is my

beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him (Matt. 17:5).

When the disciples rose from their terror, they did not see either Moses

or Elijah, but they saw Jesus alone. A. W. Pink comments: The glory

associated with Moses and Elijah was so eclipsed by the infinitely greaterglory connected with Christ, that they faded from view.1

1. A. W. Pink,An Exposition of Hebrews (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1954), 29.



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This is what the Book of Hebrews is aboutthe supremacy of Christ,along with the sufficiency of his work and the necessity of faith in him for

salvation.

BACKGROUND TO T HEBOOK OFHEBREWS

We should begin studying a book with a consideration of its background.

Who wrote the Book of Hebrews? To whom was it written and when? What

prompted the writing of the letter, what is its literary genre, and on what

basis is it included in the biblical canon?

When we consider the authorship of Hebrews,we must first observe that

the answer is not stated in the letter itself. There is no opening greeting, nordo the closing remarks identify the writer.There is,however, no shortage of

candidates for the honor of authorship.

Throughout church history there has been a strong impulse to name the

apostle Paul as the author of Hebrews. There seem to be two main reasons

for this, the first of which is that much of the letters content sounds Pauline.

Hebrews 13:23 refers to Timothy, one of Pauls protgs, and chapter 10s

theme of joy amidst suffering strongly reminds us of Paul. Therefore, it is

argued, the author of Hebrews must at least have been a member of the

Pauline circle.The second reason to support Paul has to do with the canon-

icity of the book. The inclusion of Hebrews in the Bible was not without

controversy, and arguments for Pauls authorship naturally strengthened its

case dramatically.

Nonetheless, there are many indications that Paul almost certainly did

not write Hebrews. First, in all of Pauls other letters he identifies him-

self, blatantly asserting his apostolic authority. The writer of Hebrews

does not identify himself, although some speculate that because of Jew-

ish hostility Paul may have wanted to remain anonymous. More telling is

the nature of the Greek in Hebrews, which is of a high literary style in

striking contrast to Pauls more common Greek. The structure of Hebrews,

with its interspersed exhortations, contrasts with Pauls tendency to save

practical applications for the letters end. Most conclusive is the statement

of Hebrews 2:3, which says the authors message was attested to us

by those who heard. In other words, the writer received his message

from those who heard it firsthand from Jesus. This is the very thing

Gods Final Word

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Paul always denies in his letters, insisting that he received his revelationdirectly from the Lord and not from the other apostles (see Gal. 1:12).

With Paul ruled out,other candidates are drawn from his circle and include

Luke, Silas, and Priscilla. Most persuasive are the arguments in favor of Bar-

nabas and Apollos. Hebrews 13:22 describes the letter as a word of exhor-

tation,and Barnabass name means son of exhortation.Not only was Bar-

nabas a close associate of Paul, but as a Levite he would likely have had the

kind of interest in the Jewish priesthood that shows up in Hebrews. An even

more intriguing suggestion was made by Martin Luther in favor of Pauls

sometime associate Apollos. Acts 18:24 identifies him as an eloquent man,

competent in the Scriptures, which qualifies him to write such an extraor-

dinary epistle. Furthermore, Apollos hailed from Alexandria, and Hebrewsshows an interest in theological themes known to have been popular there.

So who wrote Hebrews? In the end,we must agree with the ancient scholar

Origen, who concluded, Who wrote the epistle is known to God alone.2

All we can say with confidence is that it came from an apostolic figure who

was likely a colleague of the apostle Paul. It did not please the Holy Spirit to

have us know the human authors identity, so we must content ourselves

with knowing that the letter is the Word of God.

Also important is the identity of the recipients. The title To the

Hebrews is not in the text, although it is found in all the earliest manu-

scripts. This, along with the letters content,argues persuasively that these

were Jewish Christians who were under pressure to renounce the faith and

return to Judaism.

As to their location,the two main options are Palestine and Rome. Those

who argue for a Palestinian audience point out that Christians are known

to have suffered at the hands of their fellow Jews,and also point to the detailed

references to the Jewish temple ritual. Since the discovery of the Dead Sea

Scrolls, some have tried to show similarities to the writings of the Essene

community in the Judean desert. Opposing this theory is the fact that all of

the Old Testament citations in Hebrews are from the Septuagint, the Greek

version common in that time, which was not used in Palestine as much as

elsewhere.Also opposing a Palestinian background is the statement that therecipients of the letter had only heard of Jesus secondhand (see Heb. 2:3).

HEBREWS1:12

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2. Eusebius, The History of the Church, trans. G. A. Williamson (New York: Penguin, 1965), 6.25.



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The authors plea is summed up in Hebrews 10:23: Let us hold fast theconfession of our hope without wavering,for he who promised is faithful.

The final matter of background to consider is the place of Hebrews in the

New Testament canon. The early churchs basic test of canonicity was proof

of apostolicity.This did not mean that a book had to be written by an apos-

tle, as is shown by the ready inclusion of Mark,Luke, Acts, and other books.

It was sufficient for the author to be an associate of an apostle, so long as the

teaching was apostolic in character. We should not think, however, that it

was the church that created the canon, since really it was exactly the oppo-

site. The canonthat is, the apostolic teaching of the New Testament writ-

ingscreated the church. Hywel Jones aptly summarizes,The canon was

drawn up . . . by way of response to the effect which sacred literature had on

those who heard it. The churchs formal acknowledgement of a piece of lit-

erature was an Amento the Holy Spirits testimony in it, and not a bestow-

ing of its own imprimatur.3

Any introduction to Hebrews ought to conclude with an appreciation

of its outstanding excellence. Here the last word is best given to John Calvin,

who wrote in the dedication of his commentary:Since the Epistle addressed

to the Hebrews contains a full discussion of the eternal divinity of Christ,

His supreme government, and only priesthood (which are the main points

of heavenly wisdom), and as these things are so explained in it, that the

whole power and work of Christ are set forth in the most graphic way, itrightly deserves to have the place and honor of an invaluable treasure in

the Church.4

GODHASSPOKEN

As soon as we begin the Book of Hebrews, we encounter what is perhaps

the single most important statement that could be made in our time:God

spoke (Heb. 1:1). This is one of the most vital things people today need to

know. Ours is a relativistic age; as many as 70 percent of Americans insist

that there are no absolutes, whether in matters of truth or morality. Secular

society having removed God, there no longer is a heavenly voice to speak

HEBREWS1:12

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3. Hywel R. Jones, Lets Study Hebrews (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 2002), xiii.

4. John Calvin,New Testament Commentaries, 12 vols. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994), 12:ix.



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with clarity and authority. The price we have paid is the loss of truth, andwith truth, hope. Even when it comes to those things we think we know, we

now consider them mere constructs of thought amidst the constant flux of

uncertain knowledge and belief.Really, we are told,we dont know anything

for sure, nor can we.

All this is especially the case when it comes to our knowledge of God

himself. Can we know our Creator, if there is one? Is there a Savior to help

us? Unless God has spoken,we cannot even be sure he is there; unless God

is there, there is no ultimate hope for us as individuals, and no answer for

the ultimate problem of death. Job asks,Can you find out the deep things

of God? (11:7) and answers No. By definition, God is beyond the realm

of our senses, from which all our self-gained knowledge has to come.Therefore, if God is there and wants us to know himif he has an answer,

a plan, or a salvationhe is going to have to speak to us. And he must

speak in a way we can understand. Therefore, there is nothing more

important, nothing more essential, than what Hebrews says in its very

first verse: God has spoken.

This is the uniform testimony of the Bible about itself, that it is Gods

very Word. The Bibles books were written by human authors, who spoke

and wrote in human language. But the Bible insists that through them God

himself spoke and speaks to us still. Peter explained,Men spoke from God

as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). This is what

we refer to as the Bibles inspiration. God has communicated to us through

the Holy Spirits leading of its human authors. The point is not that these

books contain the inspired insights of men; the point is exactly the oppo-

site. Indeed, we might better speak of the Bible not as being inspired but

as being expired. It is Gods Word as from his very mouth, given through

the Holy Spirits work in the lives of human servants. This is what Paul

emphasizes in 2 Timothy 3:16,where he says,All Scripture is breathed out

by God.

The divine authorship of Holy Scripture needs to be emphasized today,

especially since contemporary scholarship tends to focus on the human

authors. It is right, of course, to realize the human contours God used to

give different shape to different Bible books.Moses had his own experience

and calling and personality and gifts, and God used them to craft a partic-

ular message in the books that Moses wrote. The same is true of Paul and

Gods Final Word

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John and all the other biblical writers. But while the Bible itself affirms this,its own emphasis is on divine authorship. Hebrews 1:1 says that God spoke

at many times and in many ways, and that God employed the prophets

to do this. But in all of this it was still God who spoke. It is not Moses who

spoke in Genesis, nor David who spoke in the Psalms, nor Paul who spoke

in Romans. God spoke in the Bible, and we must regard all Scripture as his

holy Word.

The Book of Hebrews gives the Bibles own slant on the process of rev-

elation. Whenever the writer cites Scripture, it is never the human author

whom he credits but the divine Author. In Hebrews 2:12 he cites Psalm

22:22 and ascribes it to Jesus Christ speaking in the Old Testament. Hebrews

3:711 cites Psalm 95, but prefaces it not by saying as David said, but asthe Holy Spirit says. So it goes all through Hebrews. The point is not to

deny the significance of the Bibles human authors, but to show that our

emphasis, following the Bibles own emphasis, must always be on God

speaking in his Word.

This has several important implications. First, if God speaks in the Bible,

then the Bible carries divine authority. Today, many want to set aside the

Bibles teachings when they collide with current cultural standards. But

just as God commands our obedience, so he also demands that we humbly

obey his Word. There is nothing so important for Christians to recover

today as the awe and respect that Scripture deserves as Gods own revela-

tion to us.

Second, if God wrote the Bible, then it is enduringly relevant. After all,

if God does not changeand by nature he cannotthen his Word does

not change either. It is true that some things said in the Bible were intended

only for its original recipients. God told Moses, not us, to Go down to

Egypt. But the teaching given all through the Bibleon Gods character,

on sin and on his moral standards, on the good news of salvation and how

it comes to usabides forever for the simple reason that God abides for-

ever. The writer of Hebrews says in chapter 13 that Christian standards of

conduct remain the same because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and

today and forever (13:8).

God not only spoke in the Bible to those who first received it, but he

speaks as well to those who read it today. This is emphasized in Hebrews.

In Hebrews 3:7, for instance, the writer cites Psalm 95, written a thou-

HEBREWS1:12

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THEFINALREVELATION INGODSSON

These opening verses tell us not merely that God has spoken, but that

his final and definitive revelation is in and through his Son, Jesus Christ.

The writer makes this point through three contrasts in Hebrews 1:12.First,

there is the when of revelation:long ago, in contrast to in these last days.

Second, there is the to whom of revelation, to our fathers, versus to us.

Third, there is the howof revelation, namely, at many times and in many

ways . . . by the prophets, versus by his Son.

The authors point, which is the burden of the entire Book of Hebrews,

is to show the superiority of Christianity to the old covenant religion. He

wastes no time getting to this point, arguing the supremacy of Christ over

the prophets. This supremacy does not in any way malign the Old Testa-

ment faith. Unlike pagan religions, it was a legitimate revelation and a true

faith. In the Old Testament God spoke, and it was God-given religion.

Nonetheless, Christ is superior and with his coming there is now no excuse

for reverting back to Judaism.

The author describes former revelation as coming at many times and in

many ways. His point is not merely the diversity of revelation in the Old

Testament, but its fragmentary, incomplete,and gradual character. Take any

one book of the Old Testamentperhaps Genesis, with its rich scenes of

creation, fall, and redemption; or Esther, with her courageous faith in anunseen God; or Psalms,with its heart-lifting poetryand you will read true

divine revelation, even necessary revelation. But each book is fragmentary

and incomplete. The Old Testament is unfulfilled. It expectantly longs for

the answer that comes in Jesus Christ. By contrast,Gods revelation in Christ

is not partial or incomplete. This is why the Christian era is described as

these last days.The point is not that Jesus is about to come back any minute,

as many take this to mean (though other New Testament passages tell us to

have this perspective), but that this is the age of fulfillment when Gods rev-

elation has been made complete. This is what makes the when of Christian

revelation so much better. Calvin comments,It was not a part of the Word

that Christ brought, but the last closing Word.6

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6. Calvin,New Testament Commentaries, 12:6.



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Another reason for the superiority of the Christian faith is the contrastin the channel of its revelation, that is, the how. In the Old Testament, God

spoke by the prophets, but in the New he speaks by his own Son. One could

hardly find a greater group of spiritual giants than the prophets of the Old

Testament. Moses,Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiahthese were outstanding bearers

of divine truth. Yet how they pale compared to the very Son of God come

to earth. As Jesus put it,He who comes from above is above all. He who is

of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes

from heaven is above all (John 3:31).

The revelation in Christ, then, given not merely to our forefathers but

preserved for us in Scripture, is superior to that given formerly through the

prophets.Martin Luther concludes:If the word of the prophets is accepted,

how much more ought we to seize the gospel of Christ, since it is not a

prophet speaking to us but the Lord of the prophets,not a servant but a son,

not an angel but God.7

JESUS THETRUTH

Whenever we think of Jesus as the ultimate, final truth, we may remem-

ber the confrontation at his trial before Pontius Pilate. The Roman gover-

nor had demanded to know if Jesus really thought himself a king. Jesus

replied that his kingdom was not of this world. When Pilate respondeddoubtfully, Jesus related his kingship to the revelation of Gods truth in the

world. He said, For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have

come into the worldto bear witness to the truth (John 18:37). Christ

reigns through Gods Word, because in Christ God has fully and ultimately

revealed himself.

What a confrontation that was! Pilate represented the philosophy and

wisdom of the world, with its relativism and cruel utilitarianism. Pilate was

not able to accept that there could be truth at all. Looking into the very face

of Gods Son, through whom God has revealed the ultimate truth, Pilate

replied,What is truth?(John 18:38). This not only shows that what we call

postmodernity, with its denial of truth, is really nothing new, but it also

Gods Final Word

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7. Martin Luther, cited in Philip E. Hughes,A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews (Grand

Rapids: Eerdmans, 1977), 37.



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dramatizes the tragedy of our unbelieving world. Jesus put it this way:Thisis the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the

darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil (John 3:19).

There before Pilate stood the very Truth of God, and there was Pilate deny-

ing even the possibility of truth.

Pilate thought he was judging Jesus, but with the Truth before him it was

the governor who really was on trial. The same is true today. When you read

or hear Gods message through his Son Jesus Christ, you stand before

the Truth. If you reject him, Gods final Word, you consign yourself to

darknessthe darkness of spiritual blindness now and the eternal darkness

that comes in Gods final judgment.

But if you look to Jesus Christ,and if in him you see and believe the veryTruth of God, then Gods redemptive work of the ages will be fulfilled in

you. At many times and in many ways, God began preparing the world

through the prophets for the coming of his Son. Why? So that in these last

daysthese days of Gods redemptive fulfillment in Jesus Christwe might

enter into the fullness of salvation. This is what Jesus said to the disciples as

they struggled to know the truth on the night of his arrest. I am the way,

and the truth, and the life, he told them (John 14:6). And so he is for us.

When we receive Jesus as the Truth,then he becomes the Way for us to enter

into Life everlasting. This is why Jesus is Gods final Word, and why even if

all else in this world is lost we must hold fast to him in faith.

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hebrews 1. richard d. phillips

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